7 new essential museums in Europe

Are you a lover of art or design? You’re in luck, several European cities have opened museums that focus on subjects as varied as photography or graffiti. These are our recommendations for your next European getaway.

Muża Valletta, Malta

Recently opened in 2018, the Museum of Fine Arts, MUŻA, has been rated by the European Union as one of the 15 major noteworthy museums opened in Europe this year. This new complex, housed in the historic building that occupied the first museum in Malta, built in 1924, will aim to recognize the history of the previous classical collection, while also giving life to new values ​​that have emerged over time. MUŻA is the Maltese term for inspiration and the word represents the vision of the project.

Yves Saint Laurent Museum, Paris and Marrakech

Last autumn, the Yves Saint Laurent Foundation opened two centers in Paris and Marrakech to house the thousands of garments, accessories, sketches, photographs and objects that represent the work of the designer´s life. The designer, one of the most influential in the world, is also the only one of his generation who has systematically archived his work since the creation of his haute couture house in the 1960s. The two Museums in Paris and Marrakech house the onjects that represent his life work.

Classic and modern Museum Barberini, Postdam

The splendid palace, named after the Palazzo Barberini in Rome, is truly impressive. Since it opened its doors in 2017, the museum exhibits a wide range of works ranging from ancient masters to contemporary artists. The opening exhibition focused on Impressionism, including works by Monet and Renoir.

Weltmuseum, Vienna

We do not forget Austria: the old Ethnological Museum, which was closed a few years ago, has reopened its doors with the name “Weltmuseum Wien” (World Museum of Vienna). The 14 exhibition rooms should tell stories from the East, Oceania or North America. The museum has more than 200,000 ethnological objects, 100,000 historical photographs and 146,000 printed works.

Urban Art-Museum, Berlin

The German capital celebrates the opening of a center for the projection of urban art and graffiti. Located in the district of Schoneberg, will join more than 150 professionals who will decorate facades and public spaces in the area, in the West. The museum has opened under the slogan “Connect, Create. Care.”

Museo Atlántico, Lanzarote

The sculptures at the bottom of the ocean already made newspaper headlines in 2016, when the first images of the underwater museum that was being created were published. Since January 2017, the Atlantic Museum on the island of Lanzarote has been open for divers. It is the first center of its kind in Europe. The more than 300 sculptures were created by artist Jason deCaires Taylor.

LUMA Arles, Provence

A striking art center with bold architecture, dominated by a shimmering 56 meter tower designed by Frank Gehry that looms over the city, the Luma is funded by the Luma de Maja Hoffman Foundation and will be completed in 2018. It includes studios and spaces of exhibition located in old railway workshops, turning industrial ruins into what promises to be an important destination of contemporary art.

Fotografiska, London

In November 2018, an outpost of the Swedish Museum of Photography will open in London, which will also be expanded to New York. It will occupy the lower floors of the concrete building designed by the architects of the Fletcher Priest. The large window space gives light to a neglected corner of Whitechapel and includes works by Helmut Newton, Sally Mann and other legends.

Victoria & Albert Museum, Scotland

Located in Dundee, a working-class city an hour and a half from Edinburgh and Glasgow, it is the first design museum in the country. The coastal building designed by Kengo Kuma is near the parish church of San Andrés. The V & A will be a reference throughout the United Kingdom and around the world thanks to the permanent galleries of Scottish design and an international program of exhibitions.